OBJECTIVES: The Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013 passed in June 2013 provides for generic substitution in Ireland. The aim of the study was to ascertain the views of the stakeholders i.e. patients, pharmacists and prescribers on generic substitution, prior to the Act’s introduction. METHODS: Three stakeholder specific surveys were developed to assess knowledge of and attitudes to generic substitution. Convenience samples of healthcare professionals and patients were gathered until data saturation was achieved. Descriptive quantitative and qualitative analysis was undertaken. RESULTS: A total of 742 healthcare professionals and 330 patients responded. The study highlighted 4 areas where prescribers and pharmacists differed; (1) Prescribers ranked cost-savings as the most important information to impart to patients while pharmacists advocated therapeutic equivalence as highest. (2) Pharmacists considered that more patients would be agreeable to generic substitution (52%) as compared to 41% of prescribers. (3) Prescribers considered that generic substitution would have a greater effect (25%) on patient care than pharmacists (14%).  (4)  19% of prescribers supported generic substitution in all cases and 76% with some exceptions, compared to 16% and 84% for pharmacists respectively. More than 80% of patients were on between 1 and 8 medicines daily, and of these >50% reported that they were on generic medicines.  More than 80% would be happy with generic substitution, while more 75% of those interviewed considered generic drugs to contain the same drug, to be as effective and as safe as branded medicines. CONCLUSIONS: To prevent possible confusion and concern among patients it is important that healthcare professionals acquire the necessary tools and knowledge to manage transition into and rollout of this new system, so that they can work together to ensure the obvious benefits of the new system are maximised.